The final of Dancing on Ice 2019 takes place tonight (Sunday, March 10) on ITV. The final will kick off at 6pm, finishing at 8pm. The finalists this year are James Jordan, Saara Aalto and Wes Nelson but only one can be crowned the winner of Dancing on Ice. James Jordan scored two perfect 40s last week but will he win Dancing on Ice?
Will James Jordan win Dancing on Ice 2019?
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Dancing on Ice choregrapher and professional skater Dan Whiston confessed it is really difficult to pick a winner this year.
He said: “I’ve made predictions in the past and been proven completely wrong. From the very start of this series I said James Jordan and Wes Nelson were one’s to watch and they certainly have been, as almost every week they’ve been battling it out to get the top spot on the leaderboard.
“I’ve always had a feeling Saara Aalto would pick up momentum as the series progressed and for me she’s the most improved skater week on week. Wes was the first skating star to score 10s from the judges this series but in last weeks semi-final James got a clean sweep of 10’s for both of his performances, which is an incredible achievement.
Whiston added: “I think it will all depend on which of our celebrities is hungriest for the title of series champion and who manages to hold their nerve and bring their A-game.
“Each of them has their own distinctive style of ice dance and different types of showmanship that they bring to their performances.
“Wes is a real go-getter on the ice, he’s confident and always pushing himself to try difficult lifts and jumps but sometimes his enthusiasm means Wes doesn’t quite finish his moves as precisely as the judges are looking out for. I think the audience loves the fact Wes tries to wow them with new tricks.
“James is a perfectionist and his performances are always polished with him paying attention to detail on every move he makes. His skating style is smooth with lots of emotion. However, sometimes James nerves get the better of him. I think the audience are in awe of James ability to story tell in his skating.
“Saara is a gutsy, fearless skater who puts heart and character into every performance. She loves skating and has fun whenever she’s out on the ice. The judges have commented that sometimes Saara plays it a bit safe in her routines. I think the audience picks up on the joy Saara radiates when she skates.”
If the bookies are anything to go by, it is looking likely that James Jordan will win Dancing on Ice tonight.
Bookmakers have former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan as the favourite to win the show.
He and his partner Alexandra Schauman are at odds of 2/5 at Bet365, Skybet and Royal Panda.
Over the past few weeks, it has been extremely close between Love Island’s Wes Nelson and Strictly’s James Jordan but going by James’ 40 out of 40 performances last weekend, he has become the overall favourite to win.
Wes and his partner Vanessa Bauer at odds of 7/4 to win at William Hill and Coral.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “It’s all change on the ice and having headed the betting for so long, Wes has been nudged off the top spot by James.”
Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes added: “It’s hardly a huge surprise that James is the best skater given his profession.
“However it’s really interesting to see that fans and punters alike have warmed to him as the business end of the show approaches, seeing as he was a bit of a marmite character during his final days on Strictly.“
Ladbrokes odds for the Dancing on Ice winner are:
- James Jordan 7/9
- Wes Nelson 7/5
- Saara Aalto 25/1
Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead said: “It’s been a marked turnaround in our book over the last week or so and all of a sudden James is now the heavy favourite to be crowned the winner of Dancing on Ice.
“He was absolutely brilliant last weekend and we think he’s on the brink of glory. Wes was favourite for weeks and last Sunday’s show would have been a big blow to him.
“He’s going to have to really step up his game if he’s going to win it.”
Coral’s odds for the Dancing on Ice winner are:
- James Jordan 4/9
- Wes Nelson 7/4
- Saara Aalto 20/1
Former X Factor contestant Saara Aalto is the third favourite to win.
Saara and her partner Hamish Gaman are at odds of 25/1 at Betfred, Ladbrokes and Skybet.
She found herself in the skate-off last week against Westlife’s Brian McFadden.
Following Brian’s tumble during his performance, the judges voted unanimously to send Saara through to the final.
When asked if he thought Brian would have made it through to the final if he had not fallen, Whiston said: “I think that was the heart-breaking thing about the semi-final skate-off, Brian had a real chance at making it into the final if it hadn’t been for that fall.
“Up until that point Brian’s skating performance was the best it had ever been and he looked confident and capable but then in an instant it went horribly wrong. Every professional skater I know has had one of those moments in their career, so I hope Brian doesn’t beat himself up over it.
“I think he should be really proud of what he and his professional partner Alex achieved during the series.”
Dancing on Ice 2019 final tonight at 6pm on ITV
